Method for displaying scenery on a floor mat or floor liner

ABSTRACT

A method for forming a scene into a floor mat or floor liner, comprising the steps of: receiving a digital image comprised of a plurality of pixels, each pixel having an initial pixel value and a relative position in the digital image; assigning either a first value or a second value to each pixel according to the initial pixel value of each pixel; creating a mold having a surface with a plurality of raised portions, wherein the relative shape, dimension, and position of each raised portion, with respect to each other raised portion, is defined by the relative position, within the digital image, of at least one pixel having the assigned first value.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Disclosure

The present invention relates to floor mats or floor liners and, moreparticularly, to floor mats or floor liners that depict scenery.

2. Description of the Related Art

Rubber and plastic floor mats or floor liners have become a nearlyubiquitous automotive accessory and a multi-million dollar industry. Theappearance of the mats, however, has remained stagnant—an unchangingslew of mats with little or no design beyond a generic pattern continueto flood the market. Indeed, there has been little progress indeveloping or changing the appearance of the mat. Accordingly, thereexists a need in the art for a method for forming a scene into the floormat or floor liner in relief.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, various embodiments described herein are directed to amethod for forming a scene into a floor mat or floor liner in relief.

In an aspect, a method for forming a scene into a floor mat or floorliner comprises the steps of: receiving a digital image comprised of aplurality of pixels, each pixel having an initial pixel value and arelative position in the digital image; assigning either a first valueor a second value to each pixel according to the initial pixel value ofeach pixel; creating a mold having a surface with a plurality of raisedportions, wherein the relative shape, dimension, and position of eachraised portion, with respect to each other raised portion, is defined bythe relative position, within the digital image, of at least one pixelhaving the assigned first value.

In another aspect, a floor mat or floor liner depicting a scene maycomprise a surface having a plurality of raised portions, wherein therelative shape, dimension, and position of each raised portion, withrespect to each other raised portion, is defined by the position andvalue of at least one pixel within a digital image, such that theplurality of raised portions depict at least a portion the digital imagein relief.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

The present invention will be more fully understood and appreciated byreading the following Detailed Description in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of floor mat depicting a scene in relief,according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a close up of the raised portions of afloor mat depicting a scene in relief, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a method for forming a scene into a floor mator floor liner, according to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1, a floor mat 100depicting a scene. (In an alternate embodiment, the floor mat 100 may bea floor liner.) The floor mat 100 may have at least one surface 102,having a plurality of raised portions 104. A close-up, three-dimensionalview of the raised portions 104 and surface 102 may be scene in FIG. 2.The scene displayed by the floor mat 100 (or floor liner) may correspondto digital image depicting the same or a similar scene. For example, thescene depicted in FIG. 1 of a several race cars may correspond to adigital image similarly depicting the race cars. Thus, the relativeshape, dimension, and position of each raised portion 104, with respectto each other raised portion, may defined by the position and value ofat least one pixel within a digital image, such that the plurality ofraised portions 104 depict at least a portion the digital image inrelief. For example, the raised portions 104 that depict the grill ofone race car may correspond to a plurality of pixels of a digital imagethat depict the grill of the same race car. Thus, the shape, dimension,and position of the raised portion(s) 104 that depict the grill of therace car, with respect to the remaining raised portions 104 defining thescene, is/are defined by the position of the pixels, within the digitalimage, that define the grill of the race car.

Turning now to FIG. 3 there is shown a method for forming a scene into afloor mat 100 or floor liner in relief In step 302, an image isreceived. The image (with at least respect to the process described inconjunction with FIG. 3) may be drawn or otherwise created by an artist,such as with drawing software, or captured with film or digitalphotography. The image may depict a scene, such as a race car scene asshown in FIG. 1.

The image may be received as a digital file, or converted into a digitalfile. The digital file may be comprised of a plurality of pixels, eachpixel having an initial pixel value and a relative position in thedigital image. For example, the digital file may be an array of values,each value corresponding to a color or lightness or darkness of a pixel,and the location of the pixel with respect to the other pixels, whenimage is displayed. One of ordinary skill will appreciate (inconjunction with a review of this disclosure) that there are a myriad ofways of storing such data, and that any file format may be used thatconveys the value of a pixel and its location within the image.

In step 304, a first value or second value may be assigned to each pixelaccording to the initial pixel value. In this way, each pixel may beorganized into a first category or a second category according to thevalue of the pixel. For example, if the value of the pixel is above apredetermined lightness threshold, the pixel may be assigned the firstvalue (i.e. organized into a first category). Whereas if the value ofthe pixel is below the predetermined lightness threshold, the pixel maybe assigned the second value (i.e. organized into the second category).Thus if the pixel represents a dark gray, the pixel may be assigned thesecond value. Alternately, if the ratio of color represented by thepixel (i.e. the ratio of cyan, magenta, and yellow) is light, it may beassigned the first value. Thus a light red (such as a bright pink) maybe assigned the first value, whereas a dark red (such as a deepburgundy) may be assigned the second value. Of course, one of ordinaryskill will appreciate (in conjunction with a review of this disclosure)the threshold may be varied such that most shades of colors will fallinto the first category or the second category. In an alternateembodiment, the pixels may be organized according to other values, suchas color, saturation, etc. One of ordinary skill will also appreciate(in conjunction with a review of this disclosure) that the first valuemay be assigned to the pixels value below a threshold (instead ofabove). Which category a particular pixel falls may be variedconsidering the image received and the desired appearance of the finalmat.

Furthermore, in an embodiment, the pixels may be assigned their valueaccording to the value of adjacent pixels. For example, if a pixel is alight value (and would be assigned the first value) but all neighboringpixels are a dark value, the pixel may be assigned the second value.Thus, the first or second value may be assigned to each pixel within aregion according to an average value or dominant value of the pixelswithin the particular region. In alternate or additional embodiments, ifa group of pixels of one value does not exceed a particular number (withrespect to the value of the surrounding pixels) or if the group ofpixels does not exceed a particular number in a particular dimension,the pixels may be assigned the value of the surrounding pixels. Forexample, if, in the middle of a large group pixels having the firstvalue, there exists a group of two pixels of the second value, thepixels may be assigned the second value because the group is not largeenough. Also, if, in the middle of group of pixels having the secondvalue, there exists a line of pixels of the first value, only one pixelwide, the pixels may again be assigned the second value because thereare not enough pixels in a particular dimension. In this way, smallgroups of pixels having one value may be removed in favor of largergroups of pixels. This may serve to make the resulting categorizationmore uniform.

In step 306, a mold may be created having a plurality of raised portions104. The mold may be created through machining, pouring, etching, oradditive manufacturing such as 3D printing. One of ordinary skillappreciate (in conjunction with a review of this disclosure) that a moldmay be a dye, form, tool, or any other suitable means for forming afloor mat as described in this disclosure, as is known in the art. In anembodiment, the relative shape, dimension, and position of each raisedportion, with respect to each other raised portion, is defined accordingto the relative position of at least one pixel having the second value.Thus, the resulting mold may have at least one raised portion orportions that convey the image depicted in the original image. In otherwords, the floor mat 100 or floor liner may depict, in relief (via theraised portions 104), a version of the image depicted in the imagereceived in step 302. Of course, because the pixels have been groupedinto at least two categories, the image depicted in relief may be asimplified version of the image received in step 302.

In order to depict the image, the raised portions 104 may map to thepixels of a particular value (i.e. the first or second value). Thus, forexample, if the pixels having the first assigned value are grouped intotwo regions—the regions accordingly having a shape and dimension andposition within the image—the raised portions 104 may, proportionally,have the same or a similar shape and dimension relative to the floor mat100 or floor liner. In this way, the raised portions 104, when viewedagainst the non-raised portions of the mat 100, may depict the image inrelief.

This may be accomplished in one of several ways. For example, the floormat 100 or floor liner may be divided into a grid (or other coordinatesystem) wherein each point on the grid may correspond to a pixel or agroup of pixels in a particular location on the image. Thus, if thepixel or pixels on that point in the image have the first value (or,alternately, the second value), that grid-point would be raised (oralternately, lowered). This may be accomplished with an etching, 3Dprinting, or machining device as are known in the art. For example, aCNC device—in an embodiment equipped with an interface for convertingthe data received from a computer to signals directing the movement ofthe CNC device—may be employed to machine the lower the portions andform the raised portions 104 of the floor mat 100 or floor liner.

In step 308, the mold created in step 306 may be used to create a floormat 100 or floor liner. The floor mat 100 or floor liner may be createdfrom a substrate as are known in the art.

In an alternate embodiment, it will be appreciated (in conjunction witha review of this disclosure) that the mold created in step 308 may be amaster that would be used to create other molds. To accomplish this, thepixel value that the raised portions 104 are keyed to may be reversed.Thus, if the raised portions 104 are keyed to the pixels having thefirst assigned value to make a mold, they may instead be keyed to thepixels having the second assigned value. Alternately, what values formthe first and second values may be reversed, so that the light valuesare assigned the second value instead of the first.

In an embodiment, the above steps may be automated and completed by aprocessor programmed to perform the steps as an algorithm. Thus, in anembodiment, a nontransitory storage medium, together with amold-machining device (or other mold-making device) may be programmedwith an algorithm to perform the steps of: receiving a digital imagecomprised of a plurality of pixels, each pixel having an initial pixelvalue and a relative position in the digital image; assigning either afirst value or a second value to each pixel according to the initialpixel value of each pixel; and creating a mold having a surface 102 witha plurality of raised portions 104, wherein the relative shape,dimension, and position of each raised portion, with respect to eachother raised portion, is defined by the relative position, within thedigital image, of at least one pixel having the assigned first value.

The flowcharts/block diagrams in the Figures illustrate thearchitecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementationsof systems, methods, and computer program products according to variousembodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in theflowcharts/block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion ofcode, which comprises instructions for implementing the specifiedlogical function(s). It should also be noted that, in some alternativeimplementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of theorder noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in successionmay, in fact, be performed substantially concurrently, or the blocks maysometimes be performed in the reverse order, depending upon thefunctionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of theblock diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocksin the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implementedby special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specifiedfunctions or acts, or combinations of special purpose hardware andcomputer instructions.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for forming a scene into a floor mat orfloor liner, comprising the steps of: receiving a digital imagecomprised of a plurality of pixels, each pixel having an initial pixelvalue and a relative position in the digital image; assigning either afirst value or a second value to each pixel according to the initialpixel value of each pixel; creating a mold having a surface with aplurality of raised portions, wherein the relative shape, dimension, andposition of each raised portion, with respect to each other raisedportion, is defined by the relative position, within the digital image,of at least one pixel having the assigned first value.
 2. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising the step of forming a floor mat or floorliner with the mold.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first valueis assigned to each pixel having a relative lightness above apredetermined threshold.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the firstvalue is assigned to each pixel having a relative darkness below apredetermined threshold.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the whereinthe image is received from a digital camera.
 6. The method of claim 3,wherein the first value or second value is assigned according to theinitial pixel value of each pixel and the initial pixel values of thepixels adjacent to each pixel.
 7. A floor mat or floor liner depicting ascene, comprising: a surface having a plurality of raised portions,wherein the relative shape, dimension, and position of each raisedportion, with respect to each other raised portion, is defined by theposition and value of at least one pixel within a digital image, suchthat the plurality of raised portions depict at least a portion thedigital image in relief.
 8. The floormat or floor liner of claim 7,wherein the floor mat or floor liner is created using a mold.
 9. Thefloormat or floor liner of claim 7, wherein the at least one pixel is aplurality of pixels.
 10. The floormat or floor liner of claim 9, whereinthe plurality of pixels include a first set of pixels, comprising atleast one pixel, each having an initial pixel value below apredetermined threshold, and a second set of pixels, comprising at leastone pixel, each having an initial pixel value above the predeterminedthreshold.
 11. The floormat or floor liner of claim 10, wherein therelative shape, dimension, and position of at least one raised portionof the plurality of raised portions is defined in part by the positionof at least one of the first set of pixels.
 12. The floormat or floorliner of claim 10, wherein the relative shape, dimension, and positionof at least one raised portion of the plurality of raised portions isdefined in part by the position of at least one of the second set ofpixels.